Official Languages Committee on Oct. 22nd, 2024

[Nicole Nicolas]

First, I care about children, young people and the francophone community in Manitoba. It hasn't always been easy to be a francophone in Manitoba. Many members of my family became anglophones because of society in general. At one point, it wasn't legal to teach in French; those who spoke French were really not part of society. The development of our young people in French is very important to me. I have two children who are now adults. My daughter attended the Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg, where she completed a bachelor of science degree. Then she chose to study in Ottawa, because that's where a French-language medical program was offered. She is now a doctor, and she is proud to have been able to take her training in French.

Second, it is important to me that we francophones have the same opportunities as our colleagues or young anglophones, but that's not the case right now. There are many more opportunities for anglophone children and young people than there are for francophones. We feel it right across the province. I can't say we feel it just in the northern part of the province, although it's more glaring. That has an impact on us as well. As I mentioned, our high school students often want to go to English school in Thompson because they will have access to a number of other programs, including music or trades.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Thank you, Ms. Nicolas.

Mrs. Hickey, what do you think?

[Stephanie Hickey]

It will be difficult to answer after what Ms. Nicolas just said. I felt it was important to appear before the committee for personal and professional reasons.

Personally, I kind of took my French childhood for granted. I come from an area where there was a better balance. I come from an exogamous family, but I was able to do all my education in French. I want my children to have that same opportunity. As Ms. Nicolas just said, there are certainly advantages on the anglophone side, but I find that unfair. My children should have the same benefits in their mother tongue.

As for the professional side, since I work with these children, I can see how far behind they are if they have not had the opportunity to speak French from a young age. Their anglophone comrades, who already speak English, can simply learn and grow. They don't have to work as hard to learn the language in which the subject is taught. I don't know if what I just said makes sense.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Yes, it makes sense, Mrs. Hickey. It was very well explained.

Mr. Beaulieu, you now have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ladies, it was said earlier that many children arrive at day care without knowing how to speak French. Is it because they don't speak French at home? Why do they not know how to speak French when they arrive at the day care centre?

[Nicole Nicolas]

I'll try to answer that question a little.

The Division scolaire franco-manitobaine has done some research, but I don't know if it's official. At home, the family adopts the mother's language and, if the mother is anglophone, the child will learn English. So when it comes to enrolling their five-year-old child in French school, parents realize that they could have enrolled him or her in preschool programs and activities in French, if necessary. I don't know if that answers your question.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Yes, it's not an easy question anyway.

I think the rate of assimilation and language transfer to English is important, because the last data I saw was close to 60% in Manitoba. Obviously, some parents no longer speak French at home, even though they are of francophone origin.

As for life outside the home, I came across an article that talked about living one's francophonie in Thompson. The woman who was doing the interview said that it was possible as long as she got together with francophone friends, but once she got out of the house, it was over. Is that pretty much your reality?

[Stephanie Hickey]

I think that's true. When I go shopping or to the grocery store, my son asks me why no one speaks to him in French and why we can't do grocery shopping in French. However, sometimes I meet students who have been taught in French immersion and who provide services in French. When that happens, my son is surprised.

I think that, yes, we speak French most often at home, but it should be done more outside the home.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That's fine. Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.

Ms. Ashton, you have the floor for the last two and a half minutes of this round.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I want to start by saying a big thank you to Ms. Nicolas and Mrs. Hickey. I think it's very important to hear from people on the front lines of this study. We have already heard from many people, including school board directors, the university sector and others. However, it's good to hear from two people who are on the ground. I know that Ms. Nicolas teaches because there is a labour shortage and that Mrs. Hickey does everything in our school. I think their contribution is really important for this study and for the recommendations we want to make.

I don't have much time left. Ms. Nicolas, you clearly indicated the challenges you are facing, particularly the labour shortage. I would like you to tell us about the importance of ensuring that francophone schools, in minority communities such as ours and in other rural and northern regions, have the financial support they need to hire the right people.

Do we need wage incentives? Do we need housing support, because we know that housing is hard to find in the north? We know that action is needed to put an end to the decline of French. We know that we need teachers. Is there a role for the federal government to fund those kinds of incentives and support to attract teachers to our region?

[Nicole Nicolas]

Yes, absolutely. Mrs. Hickey and I were just talking about that. One of the things that could improve the situation would be to offer scholarships to francophone students who are studying in the faculty of education. I would even go further by proposing that their last two years of education be paid and that, in return, they work for three years in a minority environment, for example. That way, we would always have a pool of teachers to draw from.

We absolutely must have programs that encourage future teachers to work in minority communities. Newly qualified teachers often want to work in an urban environment. Minority communities are very interested in encouraging them to come to their schools. Also, at the University—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Nicolas and Mrs. Hickey.

That concludes the public part of the meeting, which we will now continue in camera. We don't have much time.

As I always say to the witnesses who come before us, if you have additional information that you would like to send to us so that we can learn more about these issues and help us write our report, please feel free to do so and send it to the clerk, who will forward it to all committee members.

Thank you very much for taking part in this exercise. You made us want to visit La Voie du Nord school in Thompson. Perhaps Ms. Ashton will invite us one day. As one of our colleagues said earlier, we thank you for your courage and for not giving up the fight. We appreciate what you are doing for the francophonie outside Quebec.

The meeting is suspended.

[Proceedings continue in camera]